Capital Facts

Just tapping the brakes in the governor’s race

Published by admin on Mon, 03/05/2018 - 10:38am

    Sources in both parties said last week that their tracking polls were showing a dip in support for Sen. Daniel Biss and a trending increase for Chris Kennedy in the Democratic primary race for governor.
     That's the most likely reason why billionaire JB Pritzker's campaign began airing negative ads against Kennedy last week.  Pritzker has been playing a fascinating game of “whack-a-mole” with his two opponents while Gov. Bruce Rauner has tried to make Pritzker’s task difficult.

Candidates sometimes suffer a Madigan tax

Published by admin on Sun, 02/25/2018 - 3:16pm

 

Every election cycle, House Democratic candidates have to pay what can be thought of as a "Madigan Tax." 

State budget does opposite of what Rauner says

Published by admin on Tue, 02/20/2018 - 2:49pm

    Last year’s state budget caused some real consternation among local government leaders because the General Assembly cut their funding.
    The budget slashed their share of the state income tax by 10 percent for one year and skimmed two percent off the top of several local sales taxes.
    Gov. Bruce Rauner vetoed that budget. His veto was overridden, but the governor’s new budget recycles those same two ideas and the overall concept of off-loading state costs onto local taxpayers.

Kennedy ins’t ready for prime time

Published by admin on Mon, 01/29/2018 - 10:13am

    For a while now, the book on Chris Kennedy has been that he may not be cut out for a career in politics, despite his famous last name and pedigree as the son of Bobby Kennedy and nephew of John F. Kennedy.
     That thinking goes all the way back to Kennedy’s disastrous performance after a breakfast speech to Illinois delegates during the 2016 Democratic National Convention.  Kennedy had a serious freak-out experience in front of TV cameras as reporters jumped on an elevator with him to ask questions.

Trotter retires after nearly 30 years

Published by admin on Mon, 01/22/2018 - 11:29am

    Assistant Illinois Senate Majority Leader Donne Trotter, D-Chicago, has retired after almost 30 years in the General Assembly.
     Sen. Trotter has been talking about retiring for years, but he has repeatedly been convinced to stick around a while longer. This time, the entreaties fell on deaf ears. He’s done and he told me he wants to enjoy his retirement while he’s still able.
     It’s safe to say that Leader Trotter has created dozens of invaluable state programs on healthcare and social services over the decades.

Blagojevich roundup: Pritzker’s response, Patti’s response, US Attorney reveals new probe into leak

Published by admin on Tue, 01/16/2018 - 11:50am

    When a dramatic new element is introduced into a political campaign, it’s always instructive to watch how the targeted candidate responds. Did the candidate appear ready for the new turn of events, or was s/he caught flat-footed?
    The JB Pritzker campaign appeared to pass that test last week when Gov. Bruce Rauner’s campaign unexpectedly (for some of us) launched a new TV attack ad against it.

Kennedy uses race to get back in the gamer

Published by admin on Tue, 01/09/2018 - 10:19am

    Just days before the general election in late October 2010, then-Sen. Rickey Hendon, D-Chicago, introduced then-Gov. Pat Quinn at a Chicago rally by calling Quinn’s Republican opponent a “racist,” among other things.
    The resulting uproar was quite something to behold, but Hendon refused to apologize to Sen. Bill Brady and so did Quinn. Everyone, including me, thought that Hendon may have hurt Quinn in a close campaign.

Illinois political maneuvering already underway

Published by admin on Mon, 12/25/2017 - 3:36pm

 

The last time Rep. Dan Burke (D-Chicago) had a serious primary opponent, in 2010, the longtime Southwest Side legislator won by just 579 votes over activist Rudy Lozano.  And it could’ve been a closer race had two Latino “candidates” not been put on the ballot to siphon away almost 400 votes from the progressive activist Lozano.

Rauner needs to net nine seats to take charge

Published by admin on Mon, 12/18/2017 - 11:50am

    “I’m not in charge,” Gov. Bruce Rauner said recently, “I’m trying to get to be in charge.”
     Rauner said he’ll "get to be in charge" by taking away House Speaker Michael Madigan’s Democratic majority next year. Madigan, Rauner says, is “really” in charge of Illinois.
     The Republicans need to win nine net seats. So, can Rauner really take out Madigan next year?

Trying times for Illinois’ campaign leader

Published by admin on Wed, 12/13/2017 - 9:00am

 

If you were worried that House Republican Leader Jim Durkin wasn’t taking his primary race seriously enough, think again.